Some of the 14 million tons of plastic that is dumped into our oceans every year could be tackled by plastic-eatingbacteria. Plastic pollution can affect human health. Plastic can suffocate andentangle animals in the ocean, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Microplastics are eaten by many marine species that we catch for food. Microplastics can be toxic if they get into the body of the organisms that have eaten them.
If we eat something that has been taken from the sea, we can accumulate toxins in the food chain. Toxic fumes are released when plastic ends up in landfills or in incinerators. Only a small amount of plastic is recycled to make new plastic.
The journal Science says that in 2016 Japanese scientists made a remarkable discovery that could help tackle the world's plastic problem. Scientists collected plastic bottles outside of a recycling facility and discovered that a species ofbacteria was eating them. Normally,bacteria spend their time absorbing dead organic matter, but Ideonella sakaiensis has developed a taste for a certain type of plastic.
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The scientists found that the bacterium produced two digestive enzymes called hydrolyzing PET. Terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol are broken down when the enzymes interact with the plastic. The energy for growth of thebacteria is released by the further breakdown of these monomers.
Many genetic scientists have tried to improve the efficiency of Ideonella sakaiensis by using it. One such research venture has been to genetically engineerbacteria that are more efficient at production of the enzyme E.coli and turn them into factories that make the drug.
Although the discovery offers hope in the fight against plastic mounting, scientists caution that we are still years away from widespread commercial use. There are six other plastic types that we are still unable to degrade using enzymes, and they are all types of plastic.
Researchers at the University of Portsmouth have re- engineered the PETase to create a cocktail that can digest plastic up to six times faster than normal. The scientists combined the two plastic-eatingidases to form one superidase, according to the journal PNAS.
The University of Portsmouth said that the combined PETase-MHETase was created with a particle accelerator that uses x-rays 10 billion times brighter than the sun. Researchers were able to see the individual atoms of each enzyme.
Scientists created a super enzyme by stitching their genes together. PEF is a sugar-based bioplastic.
The University of Edinburgh has been using E. colibacteria to convert plastic into vanillin. Live Science has previously reported that using plastic could be an eco-friendly alternative to using fossil fuels.
Researchers took the process one step further by converting terephthalic acid into vanillin through a series of chemical reactions. The vanillin is thought to be fit for human consumption, though further investigation is needed.
Check out the plastic pollution webpages of the two groups. If you'd like to learn more about how you can reduce your plastic use, you can check out How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time.
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